


A New Reality

by FawnoftheWoods



Series: Not Alone Anymore [5]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt Bruce Banner, Hurt Steve Rogers, Immortality, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-05
Updated: 2017-10-30
Packaged: 2019-01-09 10:38:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12274683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FawnoftheWoods/pseuds/FawnoftheWoods
Summary: There are some things that change the way you look at your universe.  Things about yourself you didn't even know.  Sometimes a friend is what you really need to see them.





	1. Existence of Fear?

**Author's Note:**

> This is a direct sequel to "Back to action". You don't really have to read my series for this one to make sense, but know that in the last story, Steve uses Mjolnir in battle for the first time.

Thor smiled as Steve lifted Mjolnir and then promptly fell over as he over balanced again.  Steve had amazing agility in battle, but in slow, focused training, he thought too much.  Thor could see the difference between Steve understanding the training and his body being able to do the work.  

“Steve, you do not have to move as fast or as accurate I do.”  Thor glanced over as Bruce came in and sat down, watching.  Steve nodded his way before focusing on the hammer again.  It was still ungodly heavy, and he wasn’t sure what to do to make it lighter.  He couldn’t call it like Thor, they had already tried that.  Bruce had recommended they NOT try channeling lightening through it until he understood what that did exactly first.  Steve was completely okay with taking that one step at a time.

He swung the hammer around, predictably losing his balance, but this time he had anticipated it in time and he maintained control.  Thor’s cheers made him grin.

“One more time, then we can see what the good doctor wants.”  

Thor nodded at Steve suggestion and Steve took a deep breath and lifted.  The swing went wider this time as he miscalculated the curve.  He was proud that he maintained enough control to stay upright.

“Steve!”

“Look Out!”  

He heard his teammates a fraction of a second before the ground disappeared under him.  He didn’t have much time to gasp before he was underwater.  He felt himself choke even before the water entered his mouth.  He instinctively pushed against the choke for air, but he couldn’t convince his throat to relax.

A moment later, he was out of the water, cold air making him shiver harder, as he fought his body for control of his airways.  Falling back on memory, he rolled onto his back, straightening his diaphragm and placed a hand on his stomach.

“Steve!  Push out against my hand!  Slowly!”  

He blinked until he was looking into brown/green eyes.  Gentle hands were under his neck and on his chest.  He felt another set of hands lift his back allowing him to sit up without compressing his chest.  He ignored the sensation and focused on Bruce as he had focused on his mother as an asthmatic child.

_ "Always pick a thing of focus on Steve.   The breathing is natural so you just have to find a natural thing to help." _

His mother’s voice rang through his ears as it always did during an asthma attack.  He looked at Bruce as the physicist slowly counted his breathing just like his mother and any other medical person did.

“That’s right, slow and deep Steve.”  

He felt someone wipe the water off his face and head, feeling better as the cold water sensation left.  Their warmth against his back further fought the sensation that he was freezing again for another long sleep.

Shakily he reached forward and placed his hand on Bruce’s chest and matched his breathing rhythm.  Bruce obliged by slowing his breathing down and continued to talk him through the breathing exercises until Steve blinked at him and licked his lips, coming to full awareness.

“Thanks Bruce.”  

The man smiled through the concern that clearly showed in his eyes.   “Just relax for me.”  Steve nodded, leaning back against whatever was behind him.  He huffed a minute before he felt in more control and looked at Bruce again.

“That wasn’t an asthma attack, was it?”  

Bruce shook his head.   “I don’t think so.  The serum should have cured you of them.”  Steve sighed heavily.  “Steve, have you been in the pool before now?”  Steve eyed the pool he had stumbled into.  Nine feet deep throughout, he had avoided it subconsciously.

“Swimming was never really my thing.”  

Bruce chuckled lightly.   “With the health concerns I saw in your file, no surprise there.  Did you ever swim after the treatments?”  

Steve thought about it wearily.   “Once, we ended up near a lake and the guys were having fun.  I ended up tossed in.”  Bruce smiled as Steve remembered the feeling.

“It was fun.”  Steve frowned.  “This was not fun though.”  

“It didn’t look like fun.”  Bruce seemed to hesitate a moment.  “Steve, you didn’t answer my question.  Have you been swimming since you woke up?”  Steve regarded him before looking down, knowing what he was getting at.

“What is wrong Steven?  What is Asthma?  Why do you not swim?”  He then realized that the person behind him, propping him up must be Thor.  His friend certainly wouldn’t have left him while he was having trouble breathing.  

He felt heat rise throughout his face.  He had forgotten how embarrassing it was to lose control of his breathing in front of someone he admired. 

Bruce continued to monitor his breathing and heartrate as he answered Thor, “Asthma is a medical condition that makes it difficult to breathe.”  He met Steve’s gaze a moment before continuing the explanation.   “Generally it’s a bad idea to swim when you can’t breathe well.”  

T hor grunted in agreement.   “So do you have this ailment, Steven?”  

Steve swallowed his embarrassment as best he can, recognizing what had actually happened.

“No, Thor.  Not anymore.  I did as a child, before I became Captain America.”  Thor probably looked confused but Steve wanted this topic dropped until he could process this.  “What did you come in here for Bruce?”

“I finished the tests I was running for you.  I wanted to let you know so you could find some time to sit down with me to discuss them.”  He grinned shyly.  “I was enjoying watching you train.  I didn’t know you could lift Mjolnir.”  Steve gave him a tired smile, sad that his current emotions wouldn’t let him be proud of the compliment.

“Yes, friend Bruce.  Steven is becoming very skilled in wielding Mjolnir.  He is a mighty warrior.”  Steve didn’t feel like one right now.  He stood, shivering.  He didn’t see the confused and sad faces behind him. 

“I’m going to hit the showers.  I’ll find you later tonight Dr Banner.”   

A hot shower where he could hid his face.  It seems he still hadn't gotten this healthy thing right.


	2. The Existence of Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to post last wekk, sorry about that ;P

Tony grimaced as he inspected the blueprint again.  He had been adding larger vents throughout the tower as possible, but he hadn’t quite figured how to get them around a set of support beams for Hulk’s room.  

A beep told him his science bro was back.  He glanced over to see Bruce sit at the table and stare at his hands.  A brief moment was enough for the genius to see that Bruce was having a private freak out.

“I think I can get the vents between the 4 th joists and the furthest corner of the kitchen but I can’t figure the support issue.  Do you think Birdboy would pay attention if I placed a sign saying “no support”?”  He poked at the design before sending it Bruce’s direction, following it sedately.  Bruce looked up at him in bewilderment that he wasn't used to from his science bro.  Pepper had always been confused that Tony talked shop when he was upset, but Bruce usually got it.  This time it took a moment for him to catch up with the problem and offer his own suggestion in a quiet voice.

“I think Agent Barton would see it as a challenge.”  

Tony grinned at his quiet remark.  They bantered back and forth, Bruce’s voice slowly strengthening until they had solved one problem and started working on an upgrade to the archer’s arrows.  Eventually Bruce let Tony segue into a topic related to his issue.

“This will keep us busy a while.”  

Bruce sighed.   “Tony, I need to finish working with Steve on his medical.”  

“No, you want to.”  Tony frowned at him.  Bruce glanced at him in tired annoyance.  Tony could read that look.  It said _Tony, you just don’t get it_.  Well, he got it, but Bruce sure didn’t.

“Tony, I-“

“No!”  Tony rarely got this pissed about something.  He usually reined in his temper and resorted to scathing remarks to make his point.  “Bruce, I’ve been watching you bend over backwards to be useful.  Quit it!”  

“That isn’t how it works!”  

“Yes it is!  This is my house!”  Tony growled at the man.

“That doesn’t make you god!”  

Tony grimaced at the sharp remark.   “It means I’m the only one that can boot you out!  Not SHIELD or the Avengers or anyone else, ME!”  

Bruce stood and paced, growling at him.  " It doesn’t work that way, and you know it!  This is the Avenger’s Home!”

“It was your home first!”  

“I didn’t earn a home!”

“You’re here because I want you here, not because you’re useful!”  Bruce froze, and a second later Tony realized what he had said and did the same.  Cursing to himself, he turned away.  He hadn’t intended on saying that.

“But…Why?”  Bruce’s small question pulled Tony out of a self-scolding.  He looked at Bruce who suddenly seemed very young for all that he was several years older than Tony.  Tony looked away as he picked up a gadget ( _a circuit board holder for a JARVIS interfaces_ his mind supplied) and fiddled with it.

“Why not?”  He challenged back, feeling every defensive instinct growl.  

“How about the Other guy?” Bruce shot back at him.  Tony scoffed.

“Since  _ when _ have I had  _ any _ negative feelings about him?  Try again!  Why the hell wouldn’t I want you here?”  Tony vaguely noticed that he was in a screaming match with “you-won’t-like-me-when-I’m-angry” Bruce, but that was pushed aside.

“No one ever does!”  Bruce’s shout made a lot of things click into place and Tony held back his astonishment to keep the man in his emotional high.

“Really?  What about Betty?  Your parents?”  

Bruce was now pulling his hair out.  “Betty wanted Bruce, I’m not Bruce anymore!”  Tony doubted that.

“And your parents?”  Bruce didn’t even recoil as Tony spat the question, already guessing the answer as Bruce’s eyes started to finally change color.

“My bastard of a father wanted me so much he tried to beat it out of me until he fucking killed my mother!  They never wanted me!”  Tony grabbed Bruce’s shoulders, feeling the expanding muscles.  In a soft voice that Bruce could only understand if he calmed a bit.

“I do!”  Tony met Bruce’s green eyes and shoved his own temper aside.  The effort, however, left him with nothing to use against the trembling that was over taking his arms as he asked for something he hadn’t dared ask for in decades.  “I want you here.”  Bruce looked away but Tony pulled the man into a hug that he had given him whenever he found Bruce awake from a nightmare.  

“I want to banter with you, and invent with you.  I want to joke with you and learn with you.”  Tony swallowed.  He saw Bruce’s astonishment as he finished shrinking back and he looked at Tony, a bit lost.

“Bruce…Isn’t that-“  Tony cut himself off.  He couldn’t ask _that_.  He couldn’t-

“Its enough.”  Bruce’s quiet answer was muffled as he leaned against his best friend.  “You are  enough for me.”  Tony tensed as he realized that Bruce could still read him like a book.  He ducked his head down and let them slide to the floor.  Many late night wake-ups had resulted in them leaning on each other on the couch in the lab.  Tony felt the tension slowly slide out of him just like on those nights.

The comfort of a best friend.


	3. Existence of Eternity

Steve stared at his hands shakily.  Bruce was just waiting now.  He knew it was a lot to take in.

“How sure are you?”  Bruce shook his head.

“Pretty sure.  To confirm, someone will have to repeat the tests in 5 years.  The results can tell you without a shadow of a doubt.  The method and results are all in that file in case I’m not the doctor.”  Steve stared at the file blankly.  It contained the scientific explanation of the basic idea Bruce was explaining.  

Captain America wasn’t aging.

Steve looked in the mirror at his face which looked much as it had at 21.  He was larger, more filled out in the face, but the face hadn’t changed much.  From his perspective, he had received the serum less than 5 years ago.  In that time he had been to war, but he couldn’t see the changes in his face.  He had wondered if it was shell shock, but now…he just wasn’t aging.

“It isn’t immortality, right?”  Bruce shook his head.

“No, you are as vulnerable as you know you are.  You can be killed obviously.  What I won’t know for a while is whether this means you will otherwise live forever, or if the protection of the telomeres will damage you in some other way that your new healing ability can’t defend.”  Steve sighed and rubbed his hands over his face.  Bruce hesitated and before continuing.

“Steve, I have the opposite problem.”  Steve looked at him, realizing what he was talking about.  The unsuccessful suicide ringing through his ears.  Age may eventually take Bruce, but it would be the only thing in all likely-hood.  He reached out to place a hand on Steve’s wrist, before aborting the move and retreating.

“I will help you in any way I can, Steve.”  Steve nodded before looking away.

“Thanks Doc.  I think right now, I just need to be alone.”

000

Thor stopped in his search for the elusive meat scent in the kitchen when Bruce stepped in the room.

“Friend Bruce!  Will you join me for a light repast?”  Bruce glanced at the meager meal of potatoes, carrots, pasta, apples, oranges and pears he had already laid out on the table in amusement.  “First I must locate the ham.”  Bruce shook his head.

“I actually was hoping for your help.”  Thor glanced his way in question.  “I was hoping you would talk to Steve.”  Thor set the ham he had just found on the counter and regarded Bruce intently.

“What does Steve wish to speak about?”  Bruce shook his head.

“He doesn’t.  He said he wanted to be alone.”  Thor placed the fruit in a basket, followed by the ham.

“Then, should we not abide by his wishes?”  Bruce closed the pasta container and handed it to Thor as he placed that in the basket as well.

“I think he does not wish for  _ my _ company.  I don’t think he truly wants to be alone.  As his doctor I don’t recommend it either.”  If Bruce was right, Steve could end up spending way too much of his life alone.  He had already lost a whole world of people once and unless something got hte better of him or he moved to a place like Asgard, he would lose this entire world of people before he began to show any sign of aging. Thor placed the remaining food in the basket and picked it up.

“Food is best when shared.  I shall see if he truly desires solitude.”

Bruce hoped he did the right thing.  No one saw either man that night.  Bruce waylaid Clint in his attempt to remind them of movie night.  When Bruce saw Steve the next morning, the man sat next to him at breakfast.

“Thanks for sending Thor.”  Bruce nodded in relief.  “Now, can we go over it again, this time slower.  I want to understand better.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry its so short. This is the end of this story but the series will definitely continue. If anyone wants to see a certain scene or encounter let me know. I already have a request for Steve finding out about the GLBT movement.

**Author's Note:**

> This will have 3 short chapters


End file.
